Folding crate.



P. J. BAKER. FOLDING CRATE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 6,1908. 921,789. Patented May 18, 1909.

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PERCY J. BAKER, or GRADYViLLE,PENNSYLVANIA.

FOLDING CRATE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 18, 1909.

Application filed. November 6, 1908. Serial N 0. 461,406,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PERCY J. BAKER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Gradyville, in the county of Delaware and State ofPennsylvania, have invented cer tain new and useful Improvements inFolding Crates, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to crates and has special reference to that classwhich are known as folding crates.

An object of this invention is to construct a crate which is especiallyapplicable to the conveying of fruit on account of the light weight andsimplicity in the construction of the same.

The invention has for another object the provision of a crate which whenfolded will occupy but a comparatively small space for reshipment of thesame.

A still further object of this invention is the provision of a cratewhich is provided with means for securing the several parts thereoftogether for the purpose of preventing the loss of any portion of thesame and also for the purpose of setting the same in operative positionwithin a short space of time.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the followingdescription and it will be understood that changes in the specificstructure shown and described may be made within the scope of the claimwithout departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings forming a portion of this specification, and in whichlike numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views,Figure l is a front elevation of the crate, Fig. 2 is an end elevationof the same, Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the crate showing the cover inan open position, Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the crate in a semiclosedposition.

Referring to the drawings, 10 and 11 designate the back and front of thecrate which are each formed by the border strips 12 and 13 which areheld in spaced parallel relation by the transversely disposed slats 14.The front 10 is provided at its lower inner edge with strap hinges 15which are secured to a bottom 16 positioned against the inner face ofthe front 10 and adapted to fold thereagainst when the crate is in afolded position and which is secured to the rear 11 when the crate is inan extended position by meansof hooks 17 positioned upon the rear edgeof the bottom 16 for engagement in cleats 18 formed upon the inner faceat the lower edge of the back 11. The sections 10 and 11 are providedacross their opposite extremities with metallic straps 19 having offsetend portions extending at right angles, as shown in Fig. 4. To theseoffset portions are hingedly secured the intermediate strap sections 23,23, so that the straps may be folded inwardly upon themselves when thesections 10 and 11 are brought together.

The crate is provided with ends 20 which comprise the border strips 21held in spaced parallel relation by the vertically disposed parallelslats 22 and are positioned at the extremities of the sections 10 and 11by reason of their fixed relation to the members 23 of the straps 19.This construction causes the ends 20 to swing inwardly against the side11 when the crate is folded and allows the remaining portions 23 of thestraps 19 to overlap upon the outer faces thereof to allow the front 10to be closed against the outer faces of the ends 20.

The crate is provided with a hasp 24 which is engaged over an eyelet 25and secured thereto in any suitable manner. The has 24 is carried uponthe forward edge of a solid cover 26 which is hingedly supported uponthe upper edge of the back 11 and is so positioned thereon that the samemay be folded downwardly against the outer face thereof.

-When it is desired to fold the crate the cover 26 is folded backwardlyand downwardly against the outer face of the back 11, the bottom 16 israised out of engagement with the cleats 18 and folded against the innerface of the front 10 and the ends 20 are folded inwardly against theinner face of the side 11 when the side 10 is compressed to ward theside 11 to cause the overlapping of the straps 19.

What is claimed is A crate having in combination, a front comprising anupper and lower border strip provided with a plurality of transverseslats, a back comprising an upper and lower border strip connected by aurality of transverse slats, a solid lid hinged to the upper edge ofsaid back, a solid bottom secured to the lower edge of said front, hookssecured to the rear edge of said bottom, straps secured to the upper andlower ends of said back and front having oflset ends extending at faceof the lower edge of said back, engaged 10 right angles, two similar endsections, two by said hooks, all arranged as shown.

similar hingedly connected strap sections, In testimony whereof I affixmy signature, said1 strap segtions having their 1ends pivin presence oftwo witnesses.

otal secure to sai 0' set ent sections,

then? being two such connected strap sec- PERCY BAKER tions at each endone member of each of said l/Vitnesses: strap sections being secured tothe outer face THOMAS W. BALDWIN, of an end section and cleats upon theinner C. W. MANLEY.

